Family, close friends of victims of SE Portland double homicide, shooting speak out

The family of a man and woman killed and a second man critically wounded in Friday night's barrage of gunfire at a Southeast Portland home asked for prayers for the surviving victim while they press for the gunman to be "brought to justice.''

"We would like to thank everyone for their sympathy and prayers. We ask that you pray for the third victim of this crime who is still fighting for life,'' relatives said in a prepared statement released Tuesday.

"Words cannot express the grief and shock that we feel at such a senseless crime. We fully support law enforcement's efforts to locate and arrest the perpetrator. We hope that he will be swiftly brought to justice so that he cannot inflict such pain on anyone else."

Susie and Andrew Pham's 13-week-old child was in the home at the time, but was not harmed and is now staying with a grandparent, police said.

All three victims were involved in the medical marijuana industry, police said, but they're not sure if that played a role in the shooting.

Manny Sanchez and his fiance, Cece Ochoa-Cruz, close friends of the victims, urged whoever was responsible to surrender to authorities.

Sanchez said he knew all three of them for about a year.

"I was a patient. He was my grower,'' Sanchez said of Andrew Pham.

At times, Sanchez would volunteer for the family's medical marijuana operations, and help them with paperwork, he said.

Sanchez said he had been at their home, at the corner of Southeast Division and 85th Avenue, earlier Friday.

"Everything was going great. Andy was a helping, caring person, and he had a passion for what he did,'' Sanchez said. "As a patient, he was loyal to you.''

He said the family had put up the fence around their property and barbed-wire "just for protection - for protecting their own family, because of the industry.''

Sanchez said he first met the family members after another medical marijuana patient had recommended them to him. Initially, he said, he'd go once a month, then every week, then every day.

Sanchez's fiance said the Phams and Chang treated them like family, and she can't believe Gary Pham and Chang are gone. She said Chang was beautiful, outgoing and caring.

"Whoever is responsible, I wish he had enough heart to say 'I did this' because this is so outrageous,'' Ochoa-Cruz said. "I want everybody to know they were good people, and they didn't deserve this.''

Neighbors told police they saw a suspicious black sedan parked on Southeast 85th Avenue, facing Division Street, with a man sitting in the car before the shooting occurred. The man, at one time, had gotten out of the car with a backpack and was seen walking up to the Phams' fenced-in property and then returned to the car, neighbors said.

Crime Stoppers is offering a cash reward of up to $1,000 for information, reported to Crime Stoppers, that leads to an arrest in this case, or any unsolved felony, and tipsters can remain anonymous.

Leave a Crime Stoppers tip online , text CRIMES at 274637 and in the subject line put 823HELP, followed by the tip, or call 503-823-HELP (4357) and leave the information.